Contributed by: Grace Davis
Grace Davis is an ISU and WLC Alumna who currently lives and works in Cádiz, Spain. Here, she shares her experiences as an international explorer experiencing something that is oh-so-very-Spanish where she is living.
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In a time when globalization has compromised the local charm of most places around the world, it is reassuring to know that there is still one place that is an exception to this trend. Cadiz is a small city off the southern Atlantic coast of Spain that thrives in the calm movement of a lifestyle rarely seen in the world today. For decades now, Cadiz hosts one of the worlds best Carnavales; a breathtaking experience of satirical performers (known as chirigotas) who command the attention of locals and visitors to the city alike. Originating in the 1800s, Carnaval has been flourishing each year since then and even continued during the reign of the dictator Franco. Due to this, Cadiz is said to be one of, if not the best carnaval in Spain. Nearly every evening of Carnaval the streets become filled with the famous chirigotas, choirs, and comparsas. The Saturday of Carnaval is without a doubt one of the best nights during the celebration and everyone wears a costume and takes to the street for a party that lasts until sunrise. A month long fiesta which withstood the oppressive Franco regime is a symbol for the unstoppable wave of the traditional, old-school Cadiz custom that is a phenomenon for all to experience in their lifetimes.
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Header image credit: Feliciano Guimarães